USDA Hardiness Zone 9b
Frost Dates for 77077 — Houston, Texas
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Houston Sugarland Mem, TX (82 ft), 9 miles south.
Updated
In Houston, the last spring frost (32°F) is around February 2 in half of years and has passed by March 7 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around December 11, as early as November 20 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 318 days (NOAA, Houston Sugarland Mem, TX).
- Last spring frost
- February 2
- First fall frost
- December 11
- Growing season
- 318 days
- Hardiness zone
- 9b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
25 to 30°F (-3.9 to -1.1°C) coldest night
- First snow
- Rare
- Last snow
- Rare
- Winters with snow
- 0%
- Snow per year
- 0"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
0 of 19 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Houston
Half of springs at Houston Sugarland Mem, TX see their last 32°F night by February 2; only one in ten is past it by December 28, and one in ten still has one after March 7. Planting tender crops after February 20 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after February 27 20%, and after March 7 10%. The 33 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 95% of the 339 Texas stations behind this site's ZIP pages, so a fixed calendar date is a gamble here.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by December 11 in half of years, as early as November 20 one year in ten, and holds off past January 16 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 21 days later, around January 1; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is February 23, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 318 days in a typical year, longer than at 91% of the 339 Texas stations; it reaches 357 days one year in ten and falls short of 276 one year in ten. On average 10 nights a year drop to 32°F or below. Nights of 36°F, when frost can still settle on leaves in low, open spots, continue 24 days longer, to about February 26, and return around November 27. A 24°F night is unusual: 19% of winters had one.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Jan 25 | Feb 3 | Feb 13 | Feb 20 | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 7 | Mar 13 | Mar 21 |
| 32°F94% of yrs | Dec 28 | Jan 11 | Jan 20 | Jan 28 | Feb 2 | Feb 11 | Feb 20 | Feb 27 | Mar 7 |
| 28°F60% of yrs | Dec 17 | Dec 28 | Jan 4 | Jan 11 | Jan 18 | Jan 25 | Jan 31 | Feb 6 | Feb 23 |
| 24°F19% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 20°F2% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Nov 7 | Nov 14 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 11 | Dec 24 |
| 32°F94% of yrs | Nov 20 | Nov 27 | Dec 3 | Dec 6 | Dec 11 | Dec 19 | Dec 27 | Jan 5 | Jan 16 |
| 28°F60% of yrs | Dec 4 | Dec 11 | Dec 18 | Dec 26 | Jan 1 | Jan 5 | Jan 12 | Jan 21 | Feb 2 |
| 24°F19% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 20°F2% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Houston Sugarland Mem, TX, from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals. Where a temperature is reached in fewer than 99.5% of years, the dates describe only the years that reach it. Not a forecast.
Frost risk on any date in 77077 →Compare Houston with another place →
Weather by month in Houston
July is the warmest month at Houston Sugarland Mem, TX, averaging 95°F by day and 76°F at night; January is the coldest at 64°F and 45°F. From April to October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, February still brings one in 40% of years and March still brings one in 17% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 7,845 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 86% of the 351 Texas stations. 43% of them (3,401) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 1,096. Precipitation totals 49.8 inches a year, most in August (5.3") and least in February (2.8"); May to September bring 47% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 64 | 45 | 3.6 | 65% | 4 | 202 |
| Feb | 68 | 50 | 2.8 | 40% | 2 | 272 |
| Mar | 74 | 55 | 3.5 | 17% | 1 | 460 |
| Apr | 80 | 60 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 608 |
| May | 87 | 69 | 5.2 | 0% | 0 | 863 |
| Jun | 92 | 74 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 996 |
| Jul | 95 | 76 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 1096 |
| Aug | 94 | 76 | 5.3 | 0% | 0 | 1083 |
| Sep | 90 | 72 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 918 |
| Oct | 83 | 62 | 4.7 | 0% | 0 | 702 |
| Nov | 74 | 53 | 3.8 | 24% | 1 | 404 |
| Dec | 67 | 46 | 3.8 | 59% | 3 | 241 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Houston Sugarland Mem, TX (82 ft), NOAA NCEI. "32°F night": chance of at least one in the month. GDD: growing degree days, base 50°F.
Compared with the next station
The nearest other station, Sugar Land, TX, 9 miles south of Houston, has a last frost 7 days later (February 9), a first frost 2 days later (December 13), a season 13 days shorter.
When it snows in Houston, Texas
Measurable snow is rare here: only 0 of 19 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Clodine, TX, 5.5 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 77077
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| November 24 – December 8 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| December 8 – December 22 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| January 5 – January 19 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| February 2 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by September 18 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 27 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| December 11 onward | Plant garlic, mulch beds, lift tender bulbsGarlic wants a cold spell; bare soil loses structure over winter. |
The weeks before and after the 50% dates are general rules of thumb, not NOAA figures; a seed packet gives the timing for each variety.
Where these figures come from
ZIP 77077 is 9 miles from Houston Sugarland Mem, TX, which stands at 82 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 28 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 77494 (Katy). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 77077 in zone 9b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 25 to 30°F (-3.9 to -1.1°C) over 1991–2020; a zone describes winter lows, not frost dates.
Hardiness zone and temperature range: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (USDA-ARS, Oregon State University), ZIP-code listing, unchanged. °C converted from °F by this site.
Thirty-year averages, not a forecast: check the forecast before planting out. How stations are matched and which pages are offered to search engines: methodology.